Chasm
by Theo Telshalla-Arieda Gardner
Summary: I carefully put a foot out onto the wooden planks.  I am alone, and uncertain.  Reyna's life has always been like walking across a narrow bridge - until she met Jason.  When he disappears, it's too much for her to take.  Written by Arieda Gardner


The bridge is narrow, and the chasm is deep, widening out at the bottom - leading into nothingness. I carefully put a foot out onto the wooden planks. I am alone, and uncertain. Pressure builds up onto me and I take my first steps to the other side.

_"Reyna." Lupa looks up at her with wise eyes. "It is time for you to find the camp. You are ready."_

_ She stares for a second, in shock. "I-I find the camp? And they sort me into a cohort?"_

_ Lupa nods - or at least, Reyna thinks she's nodding. It's hard to tell with a wolf._

_ "You must do this alone."_

_ "What about Hylla?"_

_ "Hylla is with the Amazons. She will not go to camp."_

_ Reyna gulps. She never did anything without her big sister before. Part of her was furious that Hylla had left her for the Amazon life, betraying her and leaving her to fend for herself. Hylla had pleaded, saying that she didn't understand what it was like to be a 24/7 older sister. That she had to take a break from caring for Reyna. _

Well fine. _Reyna thinks. _I can take care of myself.

_ Lupa studies her, like she was having doubts about sending Reyna so early._

_ Before she can change her mind, Reyna bows respectfully to Lupa. "Yes Lupa. When do I start?"'_

_ "Tomorrow morning."_

I wobble a little, as my journey on the small rickety plank progresses, and I almost fall off a few times, but regain my composure quickly. Small baby steps until I reach the middle, a wider area, and more stable than the start. I let my feet relax a little.

_Reyna looks at the different centurions for the cohorts. One of the praetors, Amber, stood next to her. _

"_Who is willing to accept Reyna Hale as part of their cohort?"_

_The centurions mumble amongst each other as Reyna waits anxiously for the decision. _

_One of them steps up. "We are willing to accept her into the Third Cohort." he says._

_At the same time, a girl from the last cohort steps up. "We are also willing to accept her into the Fifth Cohort."_

_Reyna looks at the two, surprised. She had never been chosen for anything except last place. Her eyes meet another boy's from the Fifth Cohort. He had blond hair and electrifying blue eyes and a small scar on the bottom of his lip that strangely looked like a staple mark. He smirks at her, and Reyna immediately knew she wouldn't like him. _

_She turns to the boy from Third Cohort._

"_I choose Third."_

The next few steps are less nerve racking. The tension is let go as I steadily make my way through the middle. I only wobble once.

_Reyna trains hard over the course of the next three years. Since she had been at camp for that time period, Reyna was eligible for praetor. The elections had started, and Reyna was running against Ryan from Fourth Cohort, Julia from Second Cohort, and the boy, who she came to know as Jason, from Fifth Cohort. She smirks. Fifth was a failure. She isn't worried about him, even though she had come to know Jason as a good fighter. Election day was only a few week away, and most of the campers were on her side anyway._

_The sparring arena is full now, and Reyna stood in front of a dummy, since no one has enough guts to challenge her, except a few children of Mars. _

"_Want to spar?" A voice asks, as if on cue. _

_Reyna whirls around to find Jason in front of her. He's still wearing a smirk on his face, looking smug. She's going to wipe that off his face if it's the last thing she does. _

"_You're on."_

The plank starts to narrow down gradually, but I am still steady as I walk across comfortably. it's as if someone is holding onto me, making sure I don't fall, and I gain more confidence while putting one foot in front of another.

_Reyna straightens out the pin on her praetors cloak and smooths it down. She stifles a yawn, looking into the mirror. Reyna had stayed awake all last night to catch up on work. She's really tired, but conceals it to get ready._

_The door bursts open, and Jason walks through, all ready. The two had gotten fond of each other throughout the last months. "Hey Reyna! This time you're late for morning muster!"_

_She groans. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Grace? I could have been changing in here!"_

"_But you weren't."_

"_But I could have been!"_

"_But you weren't."_

"_But - you know what? Forget it, we'll just be even later."_

"_Good point. Lead the way." He jokes as he opens the door._

_ Reyna rolls her eyes at his childish antics. She can't help but smile at what he did. Jason makes her laugh like no one else did. And her stomach was always full of butterflies around him for some reason. She knows it is common for praetors to be romantically involved...but Jason and her? It wouldn't happen. _

_ Reyna clears her head of the thoughts and strides out of her room._

As I walk slowly towards the end, the feeling of safety is gone and I feel as I did in the beginning - scared and insecure. I try to balance myself, but it's no use. I lean out to the left side and wave my arms frantically.

_ Reyna wakes up on a warm spring day. The California sea breeze makes it's way through her bedroom window. _

_ She looks at the clock on the nightstand. She only has twenty minutes to get ready for morning muster! Frantically jumping out of bed, Reyna takes a quick shower, dresses and waits for Jason to come in and tease her for being late again. _

_ But he never comes. Frowning, Reyna walks down the hall to Jason's room. She knocks on the wooden door, but there is no answer._

_ "Jason? Wake up!"_

_ Reyna takes a key out of her pocket and unlocks the door. She all but runs into the room. Clothes are strewn about and the bedspread is messed up. But Jason is still nowhere to be found._

_Trying not to panic, Reyna searches the whole room. "Jason? Jason, this isn't funny!"_

_Reyna asks everyone if they knew where he was. The camp spent the whole afternoon searching until finally giving up. _

_She collapses in the front of the Senate House, burying her face in her hands. He couldn't be gone. He had to be alive. He had to be. _

_ Reyna didn't know if she could do this without Jason._

The plank finally cracks under my weight and I fall through, hurtling to the bottom of the chasm with no one to save me.


End file.
